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Guardian Angels founder visits city to help stamp out gangs in San Jose

By Stephen Baxter

With their trademarked red berets and ethos of self-defense, the Guardian Angels are looking to take down street gangs in San Jose.

Curtis Sliwa, founder of the New York-based Guardian Angels, will join a roundtable discussion with members of the Mayor's Gang Prevention Task Force at Temple Emanu-El in the Rose Garden neighborhood on Feb. 23. The group is considering starting a chapter in San Jose, and Sliwa said he feared that problems he saw around S. King and Story roads in the mid-1980s have spread to other areas.

"We had problems back then and people ignored it," Sliwa said. "Now, 20 years later, it's still there."

The Guardian Angels gained fame in the '80s for patrolling New York subways that were riddled with muggers, and their paramilitary-inspired red berets became associated with street justice. The group now has chapters in 102 cities in 12 countries, and members conduct anti-gang programs in schools and an initiative against cyberbullying on the Internet.

Their work has been controversial at times, but Sliwa said their members encourage residents to work with police to solve crimes.

Sliwa's speech is part of Temple Emanu-El's Distinguished Speaker Series, which includes speakers of several faiths and aims for a range of viewpoints on important issues.

Jonathan Hirshon, a temple trustee, said he hoped hundreds of people would attend the event.

"We're really looking forward to having a great roundtable discussion," Hirshon said. "Gang violence is something that affects the whole nation, and having the Guardian Angels speak is great. There's always more that can be done."

The Guardian Angels' closest chapter is in Oakland, where there are roughly a dozen members. Recruits must be age 16 and older and have their parents' permission, and they must complete a three-month training program. There is no upper age limit.

If a chapter were to form in San Jose, Sliwa said that members would patrol streets and visit classrooms to talk about the dangers of gang life.

"You have to establish the credibility of the street patrol, where we're out there milling around where gangs are," Sliwa said.

He said the group would try to provide options for younger "wannabe" gang members, who are not strongly tied to a gang and often run when they hear their first shots.

He said the angels aren't "fuddy-duddies," and that the tough image of older members would give teens some role models.

"You're setting up a choice," Sliwa said.

Admission is free at the Feb. 23 event, but attendees must RSVP to brotherhood@templesanjose.org or 408.292.0939. Temple Emanu-El is at 1010 University Ave. in San Jose. For more information on the Guardian Angels, visit www. guardianangels.org.